AHHHH Cheap Screws SUCK!

Groove Theory · #1 02-17-2006, 08:54 AM

i'm so sick of manufactuers giving cheap screws with their products, especially products like bridges and what not. I'm never using any screw softer than stainless steel for anything again

...I need to find some grade 8 ones somewhere...
[/vent off]

sorry I needed to yell, I was tapping the bridge screw pilot holes and the dang screw head broke off so the threads are stuck in the body...well I guess its off the the hardware store to see if I can find a small screw extractor...my own fault though, I should have known to start with something more hardened....

**Basschair** · #2 02-17-2006, 09:33 AM

Happened to me last summer with a pup screw. Got the screw set from StewMac, 1 3/4 or something like that, black-coated, etc. I tried everything to get it out after the head broke off, but no success. I felt like calling them and screaming, but what would they have done for me? Oh well, it was only my first build, the one that I'll never forget...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groove Theory

i'm so sick of manufactuers giving cheap screws with their products, especially products like bridges and what not. I'm never using any screw softer than stainless steel for anything again

...I need to find some grade 8 ones somewhere...
[/vent off]

sorry I needed to yell, I was tapping the bridge screw pilot holes and the dang screw head broke off so the threads are stuck in the body...well I guess its off the the hardware store to see if I can find a small screw extractor...my own fault though, I should have known to start with something more hardened....

Phil Mastro · #3 02-17-2006, 11:43 AM

Happened to me on my first neck, broke a tuner screw. It's still there, 2 years later.

Greenman · #4 02-17-2006, 11:59 AM

I use to finish a loy of firearms for people and found sticking the screw in soap before installing.and not screwing it all the way in the first time helps.

nateo · #5 02-17-2006, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groove Theory

I'm never using any screw softer than stainless steel for anything again

Just for the sake of being overly pedantic, stainless is actually fairly soft. It's incredibly tough, but in terms of hardness it's relatively low. Of course, that means it's also less brittle, which is what leads to screws breaking off. In general harder screws would be more likely to snap off and cause you grief.

-Nate

Groove Theory · #6 02-17-2006, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nateo

Just for the sake of being overly pedantic, stainless is actually fairly soft. It's incredibly tough, but in terms of hardness it's relatively low. Of course, that means it's also less brittle, which is what leads to screws breaking off. In general harder screws would be more likely to snap off and cause you grief.

-Nate

I didnt know that about stainless, good to know...I was always told it was incredibly hard...shows what I know about metallurgy.

Groove Theory · #7 02-17-2006, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenman

I use to finish a loy of firearms for people and found sticking the screw in soap before installing.and not screwing it all the way in the first time helps.

hmm...I've heard this but I was wondering if the soap seeps into the wood and discolors it any?

BTW - YESS! I got it out, had to resort to slightly drastic measures, but there shouldn't be any VISABLE cosmetic mishaps...

Greenman · #8 02-17-2006, 10:07 PM

Bee Wax or a cadle will work as well.
There is only one thing worse than breaking a screw off on your bass - breaking one on somebody elses

**Basschair** · #9 02-18-2006, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenman

I use to finish a loy of firearms for people and found sticking the screw in soap before installing.and not screwing it all the way in the first time helps.

True. Unfortunately, I did wax this bad boy up, just like his brothers, and it snapped anyway. It had to have been a defect, as the others were good. Next time I'm going to drill the holes a smidge bigger (after testing on scrap).

Greg Johnsen · #10 02-18-2006, 08:00 PM

lol, I've had 7 screws strip on my on my squier. I had to twist them out with a wrench, the real long ones aren't fun to do like that either, they take forever. Soas of now, my squier has 3 screws in each tuner, 12 screws on the pickguard, and the jazz cover is missing a screw. yay for cheap screws!

oh, btw, everything still works, the reason all of this stuff got stripped is because I installed a new neck and pickguard, and I will be installing new pickups in the next few months, good thing too.

Greg

wilser · #11 02-18-2006, 09:04 PM

If there's one thing I've learned in making basses is this:

There are no cheap screws. Just holes that are too tight.

Seriously, though. I did strip my fair amount of screws in my first basses. Later I started using slightly larger drill bits (just a hair larger than the thread core of the screw, leaving just about half the thread protruding when looking at the bit and screw back to back). I haven't had a stripped screw in my last 4 basses (since taking up this practice).

Good luck!